Antique Colombian Emerald and Diamond Cluster Ring, c. 1905

"We already enjoy looking at the green of the herbs and leaves. But we like the emeralds even better, for their green is the most beautiful of all. Moreover, they are the only precious stones that fill the eyes without saturating them; indeed, when the eyes are weakened by exertions of other kinds, they are strengthened again by looking at emeralds [...] for their soft green dispels their languor." (Nat. Hist. 37,16) The beauty and effect of gemstones already fascinated the ancients. The quote reproduced above comes from Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar from Como. In 77 AD, he compiled the knowledge of nature at the time in a work, the Naturalis Historia or Natural History. Pliny's admiration for the luxurious radiance of the emerald is clearly evident in this excerpt. His words unfold their full effect when you have the opportunity to look at a high-quality emerald for yourself - like the one in this special Belle Époque ring. The soft, green shimmer of the stone is shown to impressive advantage here. The ring was created at the beginning of the 20th century and sets an exceptionally pure, large emerald in warm red gold. The gemstone originates from Colombia, as the typical inclusions show under the microscope. It has only a few inclusions overall, especially at the edge. Under the table, however, the stone is clear and eye-clean – a remarkable rarity in emeralds, which are often much more heavily interspersed with inclusions. This transparency and the intense, uniform color of the stone testify to its exceptional quality. The classic emerald-cut gemstone is framed by an entourage of large old-cut diamonds. The diamonds are set in platinum and captivate with their clear brilliance. The emerald almost seems to float amidst them. The ring is in excellent condition and was most likely made in Germany. We discovered it here in Berlin, and an independent appraisal confirming the quality of the materials is of course included with the ring.

Estimate:£7,873.81

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